Final Rules on Revised IDEA Will Miss December Target

The Department of Education’s office of special education programs has delayed its annual leadership conference until it can complete the final regulations for the reauthorized Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.

The department planned to release the final rules by December, with the leadership conference to be held Jan. 23-26 in Washington. But in an acknowledgment that the deadline isn’t likely to be met, the conference is now scheduled for May 31-June 2, in Washington, according to a letter sent to state special education officials by Troy R. Justesen, the acting director of OSEP.

“The reason for the delay is the IDEA regulations are the most critical information we have to share and we want to complete all of the regulations,” the letter said.

The IDEA was reauthorized by Congress in November 2004. The Education Department issued proposed regulations in June.

The regulations for the 1997 reauthorization of IDEA took two years to be made final.